Planter.



UNITED STATES UFFICE.

JOHN B. WIGGINS, OF MAY, TEXAS.

PLANTER.

No. 903,254. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 10, 1908. Application filed May 8, 1908. Serial No. 431,621.

To all whom it ma concern: tion of a seed box used u on the lanter.

l! P P Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a furrow opening 'g plow used upon the planter. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of juxta osed disks used upon Be it known that I, JOHN B. WIGGINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at May, in the county of Brown and State of Texas,

i have invented a new and useful Planter, of the planter to govern t e condition of the cas- Which the following is a specification. n ter wheel, said view showing the disks sepa- This invention has relation to planters, and l rated.

it consists in the novel construction and ar- The planter consists of the frame 1 which rangement of its parts as hereinafter shown is supported at its rear end upon the 'relaand described. l tively fixed ground wheels 2. The forward The object of the invention is to provide a portion of the frame is supported by the planter with parts so arranged whereby the caster wheel 3. The forward portion of the implement may make short turns at the ends said frame is providedwith a clevis support 4. of rows, and which may be used without em- The spindle of the caster frame 5 is pivoted ploying a draft tongue. in the forward portion of the frame 1 and is With this object in view, the planter conprovided with a collar 6 having an elongated sists of a frame which is mounted at its rear groove 7.v The collar 8 is slidably mounted end upon relatively fixed wheels and at its upon the spindle of the caster frame 5 and is forward end upon a caster wheel which norheld against rotation thereon. Said collar 8 mally has limited castered movement and is provided with a lug 9 which normally lies which when making a turn is freely castered. l in the groove 7 and is adapted to limit the A standard is adjustably mounted upon the l cast-ered movement of the wheel 3. An arm frame and carries a furrow opener. The said i 1() is mounted upon the collar 8 and is pivotstandard is operatively connected with the ally connected with one end of a lever 11 means for limiting the castered movement of which is fulcrumed to the frame 1. One end the forward supporting wheel of the imple- 1 of the spring 12 is connected with the lever ment and as said means is manipulated to 11 and the other end thereof is connected render the forward wheel freely castered, the with the frame 1. Said spring is under tenstandard is shifted so that the furrow opener sion with a tendency to hold the collar 8 in carried thereby is lifted above the surface of en agement with the collar 6. The standthe soil. Means is provided for shifting the arc 13 is mounted for vertical movement in said standard manually and independently of the guides 14 carried by the frame 1. The the means above mentioned. A hopper is l furrow opener 15 is mounted upon the lower adjustably mounted upon the frame with reend of the standard 18. The lever 16 is pivlation to a seed-drop ing mechanism, and otally connected at one end with the collar 8 standards are pivotalliy connected with the and at its opposite end with the standard 13, frame and carry furrow-closing plows. A so that the said standard 13 moves vertical lever mechanism is provided for swinging the in unison with the collar 8. The arm 17 is last said standards, and an operatin means mounted upon and attached at its forward. for shifting the hop er is located int epath end to the link 16 and receives the bellof movement of t 1e lever mechanism for l crank portion 19 of a shaft 18 journaled at raising and lowering the covering plows. its end portions in suitable bearings pro- As used throughout the specification, the vided upon the frame. The lever 20 is atterm caster descri tive of one of the tached. to the shaft 18 and it is provided with supporting wheels, is diesigned to describe a a pawl mechanism 21 for engagement with wheel which is free to swing laterally in conthe gear segment 22. By manipulating the tradistinction from a wheel which is held lever 2() the shaft 1.8 may be partially roagainst lateral swinging, and mechanism is tated, whereby the rear end of the link 16 rovided whereby the said caster wheel may can be raised or lowered without moving the e freely castered or confined to limited cascollar 8, and consequently the standard 13 tered movement as indicated. may be shifted without moving the collar 8. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the planter. The arm 23 is pivotally mounted upon the Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 frame 1 and sup orts the hopper 24. The is a side elevation of the planter showing the seed feeding mec anism 25 is located under opposite side thereof from that shown in Fig. the hopper 24, and a plate 26 is carried by 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lower porthe hopper and is adapted to be actuated by the mechanism 25. The sprocket chain 27 is adapted to transmit movement from the rear axle of the implement to the seed feeding mechanism 25.

The stub shaft 28 is journaled for rotation upon the frame 1 and is operatively connected with the arm 23. The lever' 29 is mounted upon the shaft 28. The draw-bars 3() are pivotally connected with the frame 1 and carry the covering plows 31. The drawbars 3() are connected together and the lever 32 is'fulcrumed upon the frame 1 and is connected by means of a link 83 with one of the draw-bars 30. The lever 29 lies in the path of movement of the lever32 and the le'v er 32 is located upon one side of the frame 1, while the lever 11 is located upon the opposite side thereof. The operators seat 34 is mounted upon the frame 1 and the said levers 11 and 32 are adapted to be operated by the feet of one occupying the seat 34.

The operation of the planter is as follows: Under ordinary conditions, and as the implement is drawn along a row, the collar 8 is in Y engagement with the collar 6, and consequently the caster frame 5 has limited castered movement, which permits of the draft team being guided so that the implement can be kept in pro er alinement. When the end of a row is reac ed the operator depresses the lever 11 and the lever 32. Thus, the wheel 3 becomes freely castered and the furrow opener 15 is lifted above the surface of the soll. At'the same time the hop er 24 is lifted out of contact with the seed-diopping mechanism 25 and the covering lows 31 are lifted above the surface of the soi The hopper 24 is lifted as above described in view of the fact that the lever 29 is -located in the path of movement of the upper end portion of the lever 32. Consequently, when the said lever 32 is swung, it strikes the lever 29, and moves the same, which, in turn, moves the arm 23 upon its pivot, to which the ho per 24 is attached, and, consequently, t e

opper 24 is lifted into the elevated position, as il ustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Thus the seed from the hopper to the seed-dropping mechanism is stopped and the plows are raised above the soil, and as the wheel 3 is rendered freely castered the im lement may make a short turn to ass over lille field in an opposite direction. hus, it will be seen that an im lement devoid of a guiding tongue is provi ed and one which may be manipuated so as to preserve proper alinement of planting and at the same time accomplish short turning at the ends of the rows.

What is claimed is:-

1. An implement comprising a frame, relatively-fixed wheels supporting the rear end thereof, a caster wheel supporting the forward end thereof, a lever-operated mechanism for normally confining the caster wheel to limited castered movement and which when manipulated renders the said wheel freely castered, a shiftable standard carried by the frame and being operatively connected with the lever-operated mechanism.

2. An implement comprising a frame, relatively iixed wheels supporting the rear end thereof, a caster wheel supporting the forward end thereof7 a collar mounted upon the shank of the caster yoke of said Wheel and having an elongated groove, a clutch member slidably mounted upon said shank and having a lug which normally lies within said groove, means for holding said clutch member against rotation, and means for moving the same along the shank.

3. An implement comprising a frame, relatively fiXed wheels sup orting the rear end thereof, a caster wheelpsupporting the forward end thereof, means for confining the caster wheel to normally limited castered movement, and a shiftable standard carried by the frame and being operatively'connected with said means.

4. An implement comprising a frame, relatively-fixed -wheels supporting the rear end thereof, a caster wheel supporting the forward end thereof, means for confining the caster wheel to normally limited castered movement, a shiftable standard carried by the frame and being operativel connected with said means, and means for s ifting the standard independent of the caster-confining means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. WIGGINS.

Witnesses:

J. T. MILLER, W. O. GARNETT 

